Cotton and suede are most susceptible to fungal contamination, says a new research that aims to equip consumer goods manufacturers with a predictive tool to assess the likelihood of mould growth during shipping, enabling them to make informed decisions and mitigate economic losses.
THE FINDINGS: The paper, ‘Assessing Mold Growth Severity on Various Textiles: Comparative Analysis of Inoculum Densities and Fungal Strains’ that appeared inSustainable Microbiology, an Applied Microbiology International publication, established an estimate of minimum fungal densities for visible mould growth for six fungal strains on six textiles based on a Visual Mold Assessment Score (VMAS).
- The study aimed to identify how different textile materials respond to mould exposure under conditions that simulate real-world shipping scenarios, thereby informing better practices for preventing mould contamination. The influence of extended transit periods, varying environmental conditions, and the potential for mould proliferation during shipping is yet to be fully explored.
- It evaluated textile susceptibility to fungal contamination during transit by examining growth patterns, onset times, and determining minimum fungal densities for visible mould growth.
- Polyurethane showed moderate susceptibility and was assigned a slightly higher minimum density but with the flexibility of a longer shipping duration.
- Leather, polyester, and imitation suede were found to be the least susceptible of the tested textiles, allowing for much higher minimum densities and much longer shipping durations.
- Leather displayed zones of inhibition for several fungal strains but one thing that was very interesting was that some moulds eventually grew into these zones as incubation progressed. Additionally, Stachybotrys chartarum showed limited growth on most materials, contrary to its reputation as a common indoor mould.
- Cotton and suede were assigned the lowest minimum density with the shortest shipping duration. Ideally, these textiles should be decontaminated before shipping.
WAY FORWARD: Future studies should investigate whether mould growth on textiles is due to the fungi utilising the textile material itself as a carbon source or if it results from contamination with external carbon sources. This would help clarify the mechanisms driving mould proliferation on different materials.
- More research also needs to be done to examine how varying concentrations of mineral salts influence mould growth on textiles, and assess the impact of pre- or post-treatments and environmental contamination on mineral salt levels and their role in facilitating or inhibiting mould growth.
- Future research should also simulate real-world shipping conditions by incorporating temperature and relative humidity fluctuations in experiments, and also compare mould growth under constant versus fluctuating environmental conditions to better understand its behavior during actual shipping scenarios.
THE STUDY: Ann Hammad from Chinook Contract Research Inc (CCR) is the corresponding author.
- The study was led by CCR, a Canadian contract research organisation, in collaboration with Micro-Pak Ltd, a global leader in mould prevention.
- Micro-Pak funded the research, leveraging its extensive experience in providing innovative, safe, and sustainable packaging solutions to protect consumer goods from mould and moisture damage.
ABOUT: Applied Microbiology International (AMI), the oldest microbiology society in the UK and with more than half of its membership outside the UK, serves microbiologists based in universities, private industry and research institutes around the world. It provides funding to encourage research and broad participation at its events and to ensure diverse voices are around the table working together to solve the sustainability development goals it has chosen to support.
